The Plymouth Sound breakwater fort is seen in the haze just above the rocky shoreline in the evening light. The rocks are crusted with orange and white lichens, and green tufts of coastal grasses poke out.
Brown seaweed clinging to rocks is splashed by a crashing waves. The teal water is seen behind.

Tamar Coastal Lab

Building a watershed for ideas, capacity, and systems change, deeply rooted in place.
Follow us

    Mission

    Our mission is to unleash community-led research, policy advocacy, sustainable industry partnerships, education, and sports, arts, and cultural expression to address challenges faced by coastal and catchment communities.

    A pale sandy beach is nestled below green and rusty heather covered cliffs. Above, gorse in flower creeps up the hill.
    Small bays are nestled below rocky and tufted cliffs. Pale sandy beaches sit below and meet the turquoise sea. Winter colours of bracken and heather meet green pastures above.

    Vision

    We envision climate-ready communities, stewarding land, rivers, and the ocean through reciprocal relationships, productive partnerships, and equitable empowerment.

    Macroalgae Biodiversity in Iceland
    Study of Arctic Environmental Change Human Wellbeing Co-Production Team
    Team Morvoren women's sailing team

    Our Work

    We are building a watershed for ideas, capacity, and systems change, deeply rooted in place. We work collaboratively with communities along estuaries and at the coasts primarily in the North Atlantic and Arctic. With almost a decade of expertise in marine ecology and social science, we work at the intersection of people and planet to address environmental challenges.

    Portfolio

    We all depend on the ocean and waterways of the world and in our local communities, for food, income, leisure, and cultural identity. These ecosystems also support biodiversity and climate regulation. Stewarding these ecosystems must be done in a way which balances their innate value with the needs of communities.

    Our work is highly interdisciplinary, cutting across different sectors, fields of study, geographies, and demographies.

    Research

    We build the knowledge base on marine habitat contributions to people and what implications this has on resilience to climate change impacts.

    Education

    We share knowledge with young people and early career individuals through formal and informal education settings.

    Arts, Culture & Sport

    We inspire environmental stewardship and responsible storytelling through photography, art, and sailing.

    Policy

    We advocate for sustainable ocean science by engaging in high level discussions to set international and national policy which prioritises locally led work.

    Industry

    We support local businesses as consultants and partners, providing advice and navigating permitting/licensing and regulatory requirements.

    A blue sea tops the image followed by a white breaking wave on a golden sandy beach.

    Our Objectives

    We aim to:

     Empower local action through knowledge, leadership, policy, and innovation
    Connect communities with one another and their environs through engaging art, cultural events, sport, and participatory science
    Build capacity through training, opportunities, and resource mobilisation

    Get in Touch

    Contact Us

    Welcome to

    Tamar Coastal Lab

    Building a watershed for ideas, capacity, and systems change, deeply rooted in place.

    Services

    Scientific consultancy and research, Project design, Writing, Research & Comms training, Workshop design & delivery, Photography, Outreach, Public Speaking, Exhibitions

    General inquiries

    [email protected]

    Social media